Draw-bar-centering mechanism.



' No.859,446. PATENTED JULY 9,1907.

F. s. GALLAGHER. DRAW BAR GENTERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OUT-30. 1905.

% p 25 W/wJc/C I I v s u I "I FREDERICK GALLAGHER, OF. CHICAGO, ILI JN OIS, ASSIGNOR TO FORSYTII BROTHERS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A (JORPOlEtA'iION.OF ILLINOIS.

DRAW-BAR-OENTERING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1907.

To all whom it may con'cernr.

Be it known that I, FREDERICK S. GALLAGHER, a citiof the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draw-Ban Centering Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to draft appliances for railway cars, and pertains'rnore especially to that class of appliances employed in connection with draw-bars having side clearance 'for the purpose of centering the draw-bars and coupler heads and automatically maintaining them in proper position for coupling.

One feature of my present invention resides in the employment of one or more pairs of springs opcrating between an abutment member and the opposite sides of the draw-bar, the springs of each pair being preferably both brought into action and operating together tocenter the draw-bar when deflected to either side.

The'principle of the vention is capable of application to either draw-bars which are rigid with the yoke J! draw-bar extension, or draw bars which are pivotally connected to the yoke or draw-bar extension.

In the form of the invention designed for application to draw-bars having a pivotal connection to the yoke or draw-bar extension, a leading characteristic of the device resides in the fact that the centering device is connected to one of said parts and exerts a lateral thrust or pull upon the other, the preferred form beingthat wherein the centering device is pivotally'connected to the yoke and .cXerts lateral pressure upon the draw-bar.

Another noteworthy feature of the device as applied to pivoted draw-bars resides in the fact that the center-, ing device partalccs bodily oi the longitudinal move- 1110111, oi the draw-bar in buiiing and draft, thus obviating the friction and wear that arises in the more usual forms wherein the centering device does not partake of such longitudinal movement.

My invention will be readily understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the sameyand wherein,-

Figure 1 is a plan view of the (haw-bar pivotally connected to its yoke and equipped with my improved centering device; Fig. 2 a cross-sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig.3 is a side elevatioual view oi Fig. 2; Fig. 4 isa front elevational view, partly in crosssection, illustrating a modified form applicable to draw bars that are either pivoted to or rigid with the yoke;

and Fig. 5 is a plan view onthe line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring iirstto Figs. .1 to 3, inclusive, 1.0 designates the coupler head, and 11 the usual draw-bar stem or shank. This latter has a pivotal conuccliou l) '-mcaus of a pivotcd pink! with the usual yoke sir-.xp or drawbar extension .13, within and transversely oi which latter are theusual followers, of which the outermost is indicated at 14. The upper and lower front/ end portions of the yoke are carried iorwardlyoithe pivoted pin 12 for some distance, such lorward extensions being designated by 13. p

l4 and 15 designate a pair of companion members that are arranged tocmbnrco the sides of the draw-bar and yoke extensions and through which.thethrust oi the ccntering, springs is exerted. Thcsemembers. cons sist ol'duplicute inversely arranged castings having, in

their preferred form, upright side walls 14" and 15 and inwardly offset upper and lower projections 14 and 15 U at thcir upper and lower ends. These upper and lower projecting walls are apertured to receive "transverse bolts 16, these latter being provided at theinends with 7% suitable heads, nuts, or otherjorms of spring abutments, designated by 17.

Surrounding each oithe bolts 16 on one side, and

confined endwise between the heads 17 and walls 14* are a pair oi-coiled springs lS, and. a similar pair oi springs 19 are similarly disposcd on the opposite side between the abutmenis l? and walls 15"}. The menn her 14 has at its upper and lower ends .rcarwardly err tending arms 2G.that terminate-in centrally apertured hinge plates 20 pi\'olcdupon the pin 12; and the CQHI- panion member 15 has a corresponding pair of rear wardly extending arms 21 that terminate at their ends in hinge plates 21 also pivotnlly supported upon the pin 12. By reason of this construction it villbe seen that thetwo thrust members ll and 15 are capable of a8? swinging movement around the draw-bar pivot-pin 12, and are normally forced toward each other and against the sides of the draw-bar and yoke extension by the action oi the springs 18 and 1.9.

In the operation of the device iassuming that the draw-bar is swung to the right in Fig.2, theuppcr and lower extensions ll flof the member 14 will tcnd to compress the springs 18, which force will be transmitted through the abutments l7 on the same sidc, the bolts,

the abutments 17 on the opposite side, the springs 10, 95

and the thrust member 15 to the left sides or edges of the yoke, which latter, of course, is confined against substantial lateral movement between the usual draitsills and iollowcr stops, said draw-bar extensions thus constituting the ultimate abutmcms of the spring action, and the yielding resistance oi both the springs 18 and 1.) being simultaneously called into action to return the draw-bar to the central position shown as soon as the deflecting influence is witlulruwn. When the draw-bar is deflected to the left, as shown in Fig. precisely the same action occurs, the mcmbcr 15 in this instance being the active centering mcmbcr. and the member 14 abutting against the extensions of the yoke, andauchoringtho springs .18. it will also be obscrved that by reason of the fact that the centering 110 mechanism is connected ,to and carried by a membersecured to the under side of the end sill or other memberof the underfrarne, secured to which and depending therefrom is a secondary hanger 23 constituting arun- Way for the centering'mechanism. Slidably mounted on the hanger 22 is a saddle 24 for the draw-bar shank,

which saddle has front and rear depending-aprons thatare inwardly offset at their central portions, as shown at 25 and 26, respectively; Between the horizontal members 'of the hangers 22 and 23, and centrally thereof, are rigidly secured abutment blocks 27, and oneither side thereof are slidably mounted and guided on and between the-horizontal members of the two hangers inner and outer followers 28 and 29, respectively.

I A rod 30 is passed centrally through these followers and between the central abutment blocks, .being secured against displacement by nuts 31 on either end entering counter-sunk recesses in the outer faces of the outer followers 29. Surrounding the rod 30 on the right hand side, Fig. 4, and abutting at its ends against the followers 28 and 29 is a coiled compression spring -32, while asimilar spring 33 is similarly located in the opposite side. As shown in Fig. 5, the shoulders formed by the inwardly offset portions 25 and 26 of "the depending aprons of the saddle abut against the ends of the inner followers 28.

In operat'on, when the draw-baris swung to the right, in Fi 4, the inwardly offset extensions of the saddle force the inner follower 28 on the same side to the right, compressing the spring 32, which latter transmits the force through the outer follower 29 on the same side, rod 30, outer follower 29 onthe left, spring 33, and inner follower 28 on the left, to the abutment block 27, whereby the combined energy of both springs is called into play to recenterthe draw-bar when released from the deflecting influence. When the drawbar isdeflected to the left, the same action results, the force being transmitted through the spring 33 in the first instance, and then, through the described connections, to the spring 32 and the opposite side of the abutment block.

It will thus be seen that in both the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and the form illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the combined energy of both springs lying on opposite sides of the draw-bar is called into action to restore the draw-bar to central position.

It is evident ,that the principle and characteristic features of the invention might be embodied in other devices differing specifically and in detail more or less from those herein shown; and hence I do not limit the invention to the particular mechanisms described and shown, except to the extent indicated in specific claims.

'- I claim:

1. In a draft-rigging mechanism, the combination with a draw-barand a yoke pivotally connected to the shank of said draw-bar, said yoke extending forwardly of said pivotal connection, 'of a'pair of thrust members pivotally mounted coincident with said pivotal connection of the yoke and drawbar and lying onopposite sidesof the latter and of said 'yoke extensionfand-a' pair'of springs normally co-operating to draw-said thrust members together, sub stantiallyas described."

2. In a draft-rigging mech'anism,"the combination with a draw-bar and a yoke pivotally connected to the shank of said draw-bar, said yoke extending forwardly of said piv-- otal connection, of a pair of thrust members pivotally mounted coincident with said pivotal connection of the yoke and draw-bar and embracing the opposite sides of the latter and of said yoke extension, a rod passed loosely through said-thrust members, and a pair of springs carried by said rod and at their inner ends-abuttingagainst said thrust members, substantially as described.

3. In a draft-rigging mechanism, the combination with a draw-bar and a yoke pivotaily connected to the shank of said draw-bar, said yoke extending forwardly of said pivotal connection, of a pair of thrust members pivotally mounted coincident with said pivotal connectionof the yoke and draw-bar and embracing the opposite sides of the latter and of said yoke extension, rods passed loosely through the upper and lower ends of said thrust members, respectively, and a pair of springs surrounding each of said rods and at their ends abutting against said thrust members, substantially as described.

FREDERICK S. GALLAGHER.

Witnesses y SAMUEL N. Porn, Fnnnnnicx C. Goonwm, 

